


A Breath of Fire

by Childhood_Dreams



Category: Original Work
Genre: Academy, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bartender - Freeform, Dragons, Earth, Elements, F/M, Fire, Multi, Mystery, OFC - Freeform, OMC - Freeform, Polyamory, Romance, Royalty, Soulmates, Water, air, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:54:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22667329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Childhood_Dreams/pseuds/Childhood_Dreams
Summary: As an added bonus to the curse of my strange abilities, I have been hunted all my life. While I couldn't lie outright, I quickly became an expert in deception and staying under the radar. That is, until my past caught up to me one night at a bar and I found myself swept away into a strange new world I never knew existed.
Relationships: OC/OC, OFC/OMC





	1. Author’s Note

Hey Everyone! Finally decided to start getting serious about working on completing one of the original stories I have in mind and hoping to eventually get it set up as a paid story on here/publish on amazon/in print if possible so definitely feel free to share your opinions!


	2. Prologue

I sighed to myself as I squared my shoulders and carefully pried apart the the splintering wooden fence that led to the back entrance of the bar. I ran a hand through my long dark brown hair as I stared in disgust at the sight before my eyes. I was standing in a narrow ally with a single dumpster on the right hand side and a small door on the left. I zigzagged back and forth in my black pumps as I tried to avoid the dark stains that marred the pavement. As I did so, I held my breath to avoid the putrid smell of alcohol, vomit, and rotten garbage that hung in the air. I yanked open the door and cautiously made my way past two small bathrooms and through an open arch only to find that I had arrived behind the counter of the bar. I looked around but there did not seem to be anyone around. I glanced down at the watch on my wrist...yup, I was on time!

"He-hello? Is anybody here!" I called out nervously.

"Just a moment!" I heard a man shout from what must have been his office on the far right of the room. 

I shuffled my feet uncomfortably and tugged at the hem of my shirt. I hated wearing heels but it was basically a requirement for women to wear them during a job interview and I needed all the help I could get. I wasn't exactly 21 but from my experience, there was always someone willing to hire an underage female bartender; especially a hot one. While I never saw myself as more than average, I had spent enough time around guys to know what type of clothes to wear and how to do my makeup in such a way that I appeared irresistible. It was not how I preferred to dress or act, but I learned early on that some things are necessary if you want to survive. Let's just say that my childhood had not been the greatest and leave it at that for now. When I was three years old I watched my parents get brutally murdered and after being shuffled around by the foster care system, I had run away and decided to make a living on my own. Even if I had wanted to stay, I would have had no choice after they found me and came looking for me.

I had no idea who "they" were, just that they were responsible for the death of my parents and were out to get me as well. I would like to say that I am just your average twenty year old girl, but sadly, that is not the case. I may not know who has been after me all these years, but I do know that it has to do with my special gifts - well some people would call them gifts - I called them curses...

"Sorry about that, Miss! Just had to check over the receipts from the last month to make sure everything was in order. Now, you must be Samantha?"

"Yes, that's me! Just call me Sammy. And you must be Rick?" I said, nodding my head as he confirmed the fake name I had given him on my application form.

"Yup, that's me, alright. I must say, you are quite the "fox" as you youngsters say. My customers will go crazy for you!"

I shifted uncomfortably as flashbacks from my previous bartending gigs raced through my mind. I mentally shook my head as I tried to refocus my thoughts.

"No one says that anymore," I chuckled, inwardly cringing at the way Rick's eyes raked hungrily up and down my body. Hopefully there wasn't going to be a problem with him. He was not entirely unattractive, but definitely not my type. I had spent the last few months living on the streets scrounging around for food and was tired of not knowing where I'd be sleeping at night so I needed this job to go well.

I squared my shoulders as I stood up straighter and smiled at Rick sweetly. Whether or not he wanted to sleep with me, I had to convince him I was worthy of hiring. At least I did if I didn't want to keep living like a rat!


	3. Chapter One

3 Months Later

I sighed tiredly as I slid another glass of beer across the counter towards my latest customer. The man reeked of alcohol and my nostrils flared as I did my best to control my repulsion. The man whose name I had already forgotten had been sitting in front of me for the last three hours trying to strike up a conversation with me. At first I had replied politely to his questions but by now my patience was wearing out. Seriously this guy needed to learn how to take a hint! There were plenty of drunk girls in this place for him to try his luck with.

I glanced around the bar as I continued to dodge the stranger's questions as I hurried to fill a round of shots for a group of girls. From what I had gathered while eavesdropping, they were celebrating one of their friend's birthdays. I couldn't be certain, but I guessed it was the girl in the center of the dance floor who was surrounded by a group of guys. She was clearly drunk out of her mind. I rolled my eyes as I poured the shots, watching on in disgust as she shrieked with laughter as she pawed at the many hands that were trying to wrap around her. I got that some girls craved the attention of random strangers and what with alcohol involved, lowered their standards, but there wasn't a single person in this bar that I would have personally been willing to let lay a hand on me - let alone sleep with. 

I handed over the tray of shots and turned to the next girl in line who asked for a cranberry vodka. I smiled at her. Cranberry vodkas were my favorite drink as well; the cranberry disguising the harsh aftertaste of the vodka. Not that I got the chance to drink; being underage and all. Though, I usually managed to sneak a drink in here and there when no one was watching me. Yes, I know, it was technically illegal, but how else was a gal supposed to get through her shift and stay sane without a little liquid encouragement? 

Another hour flew by as I continued to serve drinks and ignore the man who still refused to take a hint. I glanced down at my watch as I handed over two bottles of Corona to a couple of drunk college students. Ugh...only two more hours until freedom. 

I looked up towards the door as I heard the bell chime faintly over the loud music. A normal person would never have heard it, but I had given up questioning my strange abilities long ago. I was a crazy bag full of strange, tied with a string of bizarre and there was nothing I could do about it but try my best to ignore it and avoid attention at all costs. Something that I suddenly found almost impossible to do as I found myself staring at the four men who had just entered the bar, only to find them staring right back at me; their gaze so intense it took my breath away.

Damn, I thought to myself as I licked my lips and finally managed to break eye contact. The four of them were as wildly different as they were similar. All of them wore strange looking clothes that stretched tightly over their chests; showing off the bulging muscles underneath that I couldn't help but want to run my fingers against. I could practically feel the dominant energy they radiated from all the way across the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw heads turning towards the newcomers. I scoffed as I saw the lust in almost every girl's eyes. Yes, these men defied logic as they stood in the doorway looking like something straight out of the wildest sex dream ever, but they were just men. Extremely attractive men, but men all the same. And judging from the way they immediately strode over to the reserved corner booth and kicked the current occupants out, they knew it too. I rolled my eyes. Why were the attractive guys always the most arrogant individuals; thinking that they were entitled to anything they wanted? 

Unfortunately, I was the only one working tonight, which meant that I was going to have to deal with them whether I liked it or not. Normally, the bartender stayed behind the bar (hence the name) but our reserved table was for special guests who paid extra to get waited on. I had only been working here for three months so I was still learning who the regulars were, so wasn't surprised that I had never seen these men before. Then again, they seemed to be the type of people who wouldn't care enough about the rules to be bothered about something as small as their names not being on the membership list. 

I groaned softly as I grabbed four menus and made my way around the counter; slowly navigating my way through the large mass of sweaty bodies. 

Have a little self-respect, ladies, I thought as I noticed a gaggle of girls had already surrounded the strangers and were doing their best to push their half-naked bodies up against them. I shook my head in disapproval. It was clear as day from the looks on their faces that these men were not interested in any of them; though I wasn't surprised to see that they weren't making any effort to send the scantily clad drunks away. I humphed in derision as I watched one of the girls; whose top left nothing to the imagination, climb onto one of the men's lap. Could she be any more desperate? I wondered as I approached the table. Apparently she could. I laughed as I observed the red haired girl start to rub herself up and down the body of the man below her, not bothering to notice the bored and uninterested face that stared down at her. 

Personally, I didn't see why the scowling man bothered to let her onto his lap in the first place if he wasn't interested, but that was the trouble with egotistical alpha males. They loved attention more than life itself.

To stop myself from going off on a mental rant, I looked down and focused on the table as I placed the four menus in front of the men then grabbed the pad of paper from my pocket without looking up and raised my pen.

"Is there anything I can start you off with, gentlemen?" I asked, almost choking on the level of sugar that filled my mouth. 

"Well, aren't you a pretty young thing!" I heard one of the men comment. I kept my eyes on the pen and paper in front of me as I bit my lip to stop myself from saying something that could get me fired. 

"She must be new, I would definitely remember being served by such a sexy little thing," a second voice chimed in. I bit my lip again in fury. I am not little, nor a "thing", I thought angrily to myself as I forced a smile onto my face and replied; still refusing to look up.

"I started about three months ago, sir. Was there anything I can get you and your friends?" I asked again, but already knew my question was going to be ignored. 

"We'll take you, if you think you could handle all of us," another voice chimed in. While I still refused to look at the men, I found my legs trembling with desire as the seductive tone washed over me. I couldn't stop the sudden images that flashed before my mind at the man's words. Down, girl! As much fun as a night with one or more of them sounded, I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of adding my name to their list of conquests; which I would have bet money on, was long enough to reach the floor and then some. I opened my mouth, about to unleash my wrath on these overly muscled pricks, but paused as I remembered that doing such a thing had cost me my last job. I enjoyed having a roof over my head again and did not want to risk losing it. Before I could think of a passably polite enough response, a fourth voice spoke up.

"Please ignore these three idiots, sugar. They know nothing of the female persuasion. They are used to getting by on good looks alone and nothing else. I, on the other hand, know how to treat a women right." I resisted the urge to shake my head in disbelief and instead, finally looked up with a smile.

"I'll excuse your friends - for now. Now, once again, is there anything I...I can get...you?" I faltered at the end of my statement as I finally realized something about the strangers that had escaped my attention. Now that I was close enough and actually looking at them, I realized my mistake. As if being the most attractive men I had ever seen wasn't enough, they were twins...well quadruplets or whatever it was called. My mind wandered towards dangerous territory again as I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. "You, you all have the same face..." I found myself commenting lamely. I mentally smacked my forehead. Really? Really! Of all the things you could have said, that is what you decide to go with? Way to go girl. Pointing out the obvious - what a great way to make a good impression. 

"Yes, yes we do, hot stuff. Though we are not blood related. We all have different parentage; though we were born at the same time so we like to think of ourselves as brothers and usually don't bother to correct people who assume we are quadruplets." Said the one sitting closest to where I stood. He was the one who had apologized on the other's behalf. I managed to tear my eyes off of his angelic face long enough to notice that he had blonde hair before getting distracted as the other three turned to glare at him.

"What the fuck, Caspian. She doesn't need or want our whole life story!" said one of the "brothers". In the back of my mind, I registered that they each had different hair colors; which was probably the only way anyone was ever able to tell them apart. The one who had just spoken was the red head.

"Calm down, Blaise, it's not like I revealed some big dark secret!" replied the blonde, whose name was apparently Caspian. 

"Would the both of you just shut up already? I didn't tag along to listen to you two argue all night!" interrupted the dark brown haired brother.

"Give them a break, Terrance, you know how those two get when they see a pretty face!" said the one with black hair. I filed away Terrance's name as I flicked my eyes back and forth to keep up with the conversation. Only one more name to go. 

"That's no excuse, Elios! What must the poor girl think of us?" I frowned, not needing a reminder that I was indeed, a poor girl, but happy all the same to have all four of their names now. 

"If it makes any difference, I've seen and heard a lot worse," I commented to the brown and black haired brothers with a smile of reassurance. The three of us looked over at the other two men who had started whispering furiously to one another. 

"All the same, it's not the first impression I would have liked you to have, my lovely." And here I was thinking that I was the one who had made a bad impression! 

I waved his comment aside to show him it was water under the bridge, though I didn't like him referring to me as his. I didn't belong to anyone. I was my own person, thank you very much! My mind started to drift again as I pictured what it would be like to belong to the man before me; let alone all four men as the red head had implied earlier. Holy shit, girl, climb out of the gutter and get it together! I reprimanded myself as I felt my panties getting wetter with each scandalous thought my seriously messed up brain sent me.

To help get my mind back on track, I lifted up my pad of paper again and raised my brows at the two boys who weren't currently squabbling like little children.

"Just get us a round of scotch," one of them said with a laugh. I was pretty sure it was Terrance. But even with different colored hair, it was hard to tell them apart. 

I nodded and went to go grab them their drinks. Ugh, would you just leave already? I thought to myself as I noticed the man from earlier was still perched on his bar stool; waiting for me to get back behind the bar. As soon as I had, he started back up with a string of slurred questions. I didn't even bother to answer this time as I grabbed a crate and dragged it over so that I could stand up and pull down one of the top shelf bottles of scotch. Yeah, I know, short people problems.

I continued to ignore the bum in front of me as I poured out the scotch into four glasses and set them on a tray. 

********************************************

I heaved a heavy sigh of relief as the bar started to empty two hours later. The night had not gotten any better for me. Apart from the bum on his stool, the four hideously attractive men I couldn't keep my eyes off of, and the rest of the drunks in this place, six more otherworldly men had joined the fray and added to my pile of problems of the night. Yes, they were as equally attractive as the others who had arrived first, but something about these six rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn't put my finger on the reason since they had done nothing out of the ordinary to give me cause for concern other than staring at me a lot; which wasn't any different from the rest the guys at the bar...

I doubt I will ever understand why I get so many stares. I mean, I'm not ugly, but I go out of my way to draw as little attention to myself as humanly possible and on top of that, I can't even afford nice clothes that would actually show off any attractive assets I had...yet everywhere I went, guys; and the occasional girl, would stare at me and try to get me to take my pants off for them. 

It wasn't that I didn't enjoy sex, I'd had my fair share of fun times and was confident enough in my skills, but for the most part, it was only a reminder of a time in my life that I didn't ever want to go back to. A time where my body had been the only thing keeping me from death's door. It wasn't that I was ashamed of my younger self's actions - a girl has to do what a girl has to survive alone in the world, but after so many times sleeping with the wrong guys, it made it harder for me to want to sleep with anyone. Not really sure if that made sense, but nothing about me made sense, so what  
can I say.

I was brought out of my impromptu pity party as I heard the timer next to me go off with a loud beep. Thank you! I grumbled lowly as I hurried over to the panel on the wall behind me and turned the music off.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen! The bar is now closed! Cabs are waiting outside for anyone who needs a lift home!" I shouted as loud as I could. 

There were several groans of disappointment but thankfully no one seemed to be refusing to leave; which sometimes happened. I glanced over at Jeffrey, the lone security guard on duty tonight and gave him a thumbs up as he started ushering people out and I began to stack the chairs. The noises inside the bar quickly died down and I reached over and plugged my phone into the speaker and hit play as I bustled around tidying up the bar. 

"Are you finally off, sweetheart? I would love to take you back to my place and show you a good time!"

I looked up and stopped singing along to one of my favorite songs as I realized not everyone had left yet. Lucky me, I growled as I saw the bum was still on his stool.

"No thank you, and if you didn't hear me the first time, the bar is now closed. You need to leave!" I told the man as I grabbed his empty glass and put it in the sink. 

As I turned back around I felt myself suddenly being yanked forward as the man hissed angrily and tugged on my arm.

"No woman has ever said no to me before!" He said, his eyes flashing a warning at me.

"I find that very hard to believe," I stated coldly as I pulled my hand roughly out of his grasp and took in his shaggy hair and unkempt appearance. No girl in their right mind would ever sleep with someone so repulsive!

"Look, you little bitch! We can do this the easy way or the hard way," he continued, spittle flying out of his mouth as he stood up and knocked the stool over in his haste. 

"You know, it's not polite to call someone a bitch, especially not someone as precious as this fine bartender," a voice called out from behind the bum. I glanced over his head to see that Caspian and his brothers had stayed behind as well and were watching the bum with mild detachment; though I thought I detected a hint of anger and possessiveness as well but was sure I had just imagined it. To be honest, I was surprised they had bothered to step in and intervene at all; they had spent the entire night looking around with derisive scowls on their faces.

The bum spun around and raised his arm to punch the brothers but stopped midway as he registered who his opponents were. Yeah, no way in hell are you winning that fight, I thought as the bum finally scampered off in fear. I watched him go with a smile; wishing for a brief moment that he had decided to stay and fight. What, a girl's got to get her entertainment somehow! It's not like I could afford a tv, and the hotel I had been staying at wasn't one of the fancy kinds that had the rooms that came furnished with them.

"Thanks," I mumbled to the four men as I reached back behind the bar and grabbed my key card before ushering them out of the bar's back entrance and locking it behind me. 

"Anytime, sexy. You'll have much more fun coming home with us than you ever would have with that sorry excuse for a man," the red haired brother said with a chuckle as he ruffled his hair casually. It was a smooth move, I'd give him that, allowing him to show off a hint of his abs as his shirt peeled an inch or so up along with his arm. Stop drooling! I shook my head as I took a step away from them and towards the main street.

"And what makes you think I'd want to go home with you...with any of you?" I called out as I continued to step backwards.

"You're kidding right?" The red head snorted. "Have you seen us?" 

I smiled right back at him. Two could play at that game.

"Not to burst your ego bubble, but I wouldn't sleep with you even if you were the last man on earth and I'm certainly not going to go off with four random strangers, no matter how good-looking they might be." 

With that said, I turned around only to find my path blocked by several shadowy figures. 

"Well, lass. How about coming back with us instead? I guarantee we won't be strangers for long!" 

I glared at the six men in front of me who I recognized as the ones who had given me a creepy vibe earlier. The flashes of car headlights coming from the main street were enough for me to catch a glimpse of their faces but still didn't offer as much visibility as I would have liked under the increasingly dangerous circumstances I found myself in. 

"Okay, I'm only going to make this clear once, I am not going home with anyone! So go scamper off to wherever you came from and leave me alone!" I shouted with irritation. It was the same story almost every night when I tried to leave work and I was getting bloody sick of it! 

I felt years and years of pent up rage rising to the surface as the six men strode forward towards me. Hell no. 

I reached out and punched the man in front as hard as I could, watching in satisfaction as he spat out a mouthful of blood. But something else seemed to happen when I did. Like I said earlier, I was a bag full of crazy and I blinked in surprise as the man was pushed backward as a large gust of wind rocketed through the alley; knocking the man off his feet. Damn it! I shouldn't have done that!

"Don't look at me!" I heard one of the four brothers say from behind me as the man in front slowly got back to his feet with a growl. 

"Who else could that have been, Elios! It's not like the rest of us can control air!" Another voice said behind me but I stopped paying attention to what they were saying as the six men made their way towards me once more.

"Can y'all argue later when I'm not being attacked?" I shouted loudly as I dodged one of the men's punches and landed one of my own. Again, something strange happened as I did. This time, a sudden rush of water pushed the men back. I blinked and the water was gone. So much for keeping a low profile, I thought as I raised my hands defensively as the group of men stood back up. From the sound of things, no one had realized it was me causing the elements to wreak havoc but it wouldn't be long. I had to get out of here soon. It would be a shame to have to start all over reinventing a new disguise, but it wasn't the first time and couldn't be avoided. No way was I going to let my parent's murderers hunt me down and kill me to!

"Really? You're going to lecture me about restraint when you can't even hold back yourself, Caspian?" 

"Will you four shut the fuck up already and either help or get out and stop distracting me?!" I called back as the men in front growled and advanced once more. Well here's hoping. Third time's the charm as they say. 

I spun around and kicked as hard as I could; landing a solid hit against what had to be the "leader's" chest, this time a wall of fire erupting to send him and his cronies backwards. 

A loud roar of anger echoed against the walls of the alley and I gazed on in shock and horror as I watched the human forms in front of me start to shift and morph into something entirely inhuman. 

Holy fuck, that's not possible. I backed up several steps as I tried to recall if there  
was a chance I had drank enough tonight to be drunk because standing in front of me were six dragons. Dragons! Yup I'm drunk, or someone roofied me...


	4. Chapter Two

I sucked in a gulp of air as I stepped backwards in fear. This is it, this is the moment I officially get tossed in a psych ward. I mean it didn't seem like I was imagining things, but I had to be right? I mean dragons just don't exist! Then again, I wasn't really one to talk; considering me and all my impossible abilities, some of which I had just demonstrated moments ago...but still...dragons? Of all the crazy concepts I had ever come up with to explain what was wrong with me, dragons had never been one. Vampires, witches, demons, and werewolves, sure, but dragons?!

"Get behind us, princess!" a voice shouted at me; I think it was Caspian. I stayed where I was, too shocked to move. I urged my body to do something, anything, but my legs refused to listen to my brain. 

I gasped as I felt myself being tugged backwards into a pair of arms. I squirmed in irritation but the hands holding me had a strong grasp on me and I couldn't break out.

"Stop squirming, princess, my brothers and I are trying to help!" 

"I'm the farthest thing from a princess as you could possibly get! And unhand me you great overly muscled oaf! I can take care of myself! And even if I couldn't, it's not like you guys and your muscles will be much help against freaking dragons!" 

"Aw, don't underestimate us, sweetness. We are more powerful then we look," Caspian replied with a smirk as he finally released me.

Well that's a scary thought. I shuddered as I stared at the four men in front of me. They looked plenty powerful in their own right, but they couldn't possibly be stronger than dragons! Right?

I shouted in shock as I stumbled back; watching the guys suddenly transforming in with a flash of scales and pointy teeth. Turns out I was wrong. They could be stronger; seeing as they were dragons themselves. 

What the fuck! Is everyone a dragon and I just never realized it? Do humans even exist? Do I exist? Gahhh. I pinched myself hard to stop my existential midlife crisis - if that's what you could call it.

Pull yourself together, woman! Now is not the time for a full blown panic attack!

I scrambled to my feet and immediately had to dive behind the dumpster to avoid getting singed by the overlapping beams of flame that were coming from both ends of the alley; leaving me directly in their path.

Stupid dragons...you would think mythical creatures who decided to suddenly be real could have the courtesy to have better aim! I grumbled as my foot landed on something squishy under my boot and I refused to look down. Gross. 

I peered out from behind the dumpster as loud roars and growls tore through the air and then I heard what sounded like several heavy dragon bodies being slammed against the sides of the alley - and then nothing but silence. I shifted nervously where I hid, not knowing who had come out on top and not wanting to leave my hiding spot if there was the slightest chance that I was still in danger. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those frilly girls who gets scared over something as pathetic as spiders (though I was terrified of them, but you get my point) but who wouldn't be terrified under the current circumstances? Even the bravest person in the world would tremble if suddenly stuck in a dingy alley with ten monstrous creatures they had thought didn't exist!

"You can come out now, princess!" I guessed it was Caspian who called out as he was the only one so far who had called me by that nickname.

"I told you not to call me that!" I huffed out as I slowly stood up and stepped out from behind the dumpster; being careful to avoid the puddles of trash on the ground this time. I kept my eyes down once I had made it back to the center of the alley, not sure what sight I would be greeted with; dragons or humans?

"Now, now, precious, no need to be scared. We don't bite...unless you want us to do so, of course," I looked up at the grinning black haired man I vaguely remembered was called Elios. Now was so not the time to be getting turned on but damn it if I wasn't a little weak in the knees at his implications. Seriously, what is wrong with me!

"Nah, I'm good, thanks. And thanks for the help just now and everything, but I think I'll be heading home now," I said cheerfully as I turned to make my way out of the alley. 

"Hold up, shorty! We are not done here, I have several questions!" I spun around and glared at the red head. I detested being called shorty!

"That sounds like a you problem!" I declared as I turned once more towards the main street.

"My brothers here think it was me who created that wall of fire earlier, but I know for a fact it was sure as hell not me, and it wasn't those sorry excuses for dragons we just knocked the fuck out, so that only leaves one other person - you. So yes, you're right. It most definitely is a you problem," Blaise said, his eyes flashing at me.

Shit. I was so screwed. I had really hoped that in the chaos of everything that had just happened, they would forget to notice that I had used my abilities. I really need to start doing a better job at staying under the radar! But it wasn't like I had anyone in my life to help me learn how to control my magic; which meant that it randomly flared up whenever I was feeling threatened. It was a good self-defense mechanism, but meant that I was constantly on the run every time something happened and I was getting really sick of always being on the move. It would be nice to settle down somewhere for even just a year!

"I have no idea what you are referring to, sir. I'm just a bartender. You four are the ones who are apparently mythical creatures that aren't supposed to exist!" I replied, doing my best to feign ignorance. 

"You've got to be kidding, Blaise. No way did she have anything to do with what just happened! Only those of the royal bloodlines have enough power to conjure up the elements in such a way. We all know that! Just admit it, man! You lost control. It's nothing to be ashamed of. We've all struggled with our powers over the years. We're not judging you!" Terrance said reassuringly. I stayed silent. Not wanting to accidentally say anything to convince the other three that their brother might be telling the truth about not causing the wall of fire. 

Now that I thought about it, I was surprised that Caspian and Elios weren't siding with the red head as well since from what I had gathered from their shouting earlier, they had also been accused like Blaise when I used my water and air abilities. But the two seemed to have forgotten that little detail and I wasn't stupid enough to remind them. If I was lucky, these men would think that their own crazy abilities were the cause and leave me the hell out of whatever messed up shit they were involved in. The last thing I needed was more drama in my life!

"How many times do I have to say it wasn't me!" Blaise roared out angrily. I stepped back as I saw steam emanating off of his skin in thick white clouds. If this was how he acted on a daily basis, I could not really blame his friends for jumping to the conclusion that he was at fault. Blaise seemed to be the kind of guy who was very quick to anger. That kind of temper combined with magical abilities seemed to me to be a volatile mix.

"C'mon, bro. This wouldn't be the first time one of us flared up without realizing it! You've got to admit, it's far more plausible it was you then some puny girl who reeks of human. We'd be able to sense if she was a dragon! And even then, she wouldn't be able to directly control fire like that." I frowned as Terrance talked down about me - but again, kept my mouth shut; not liking the idea that Blaise thought I might not be human...and not wanting to give them a reason to believe it was a possibility.

Don't be ridiculous, he just said they would be able to tell if you weren't human! I tried to reassure myself, but certain things were not adding up. I definitely think I would have noticed if I was able to change into a fire breathing dragon, but if dragons existed, maybe other creatures did as well? There were too many unexplained things about me and it was getting harder and harder to ignore. My enhanced hearing, speed, and strength, for a start. Not to mention my elemental powers. Ugh, this is too much for my brain to handle right now. I really just need to go back to my hotel and fall asleep - when I wake up it will all turn out to be some horrible dream my overactive imagination decided to concoct just to torture me.

"I don't see why we can't just take her back with us and have the professors run tests. If it turns out I am wrong; which I know I am not, then they'll just erase her memory of all of this and no harm done, but if I am right, then we get credit for discovering whatever is going on. Did no one else notice how those dragons directed all of their attacks towards the girl and not us? Am I the only one who finds that concerning?" I stared at Blaise as he glared at me, his face full of suspicion as he talked about me like I wasn't standing right there.

Tests? Memory erasing? Yeah, that's not going to happen! I thought to myself as I tried to back up as discretely as possible, not that it worked; since all four men had now turned to face me. No way was I letting myself become some sort of laboratory rat though. It was officially time for me to get the fuck out.

Before any of them could say another word or take another step towards me, I spun on the spot and dashed forward. For the first time in my life, I was glad to be a mutant with inhuman speed as I raced towards the main street, my feet pounding roughly against the cobbled pavement. 

From somewhere in the distance, I heard cries of surprise and shock, but didn't dare pause in my movements to take the time to look back over my shoulder. I sighed prematurely in relief as I finally spotted my hotel in the distance and darted as quickly as I could for my room; which was conveniently located on the outside strip of rooms on the first floor.

Unfortunately for me, I never made it to my destination. For the fourth or fifth time that night; to be honest, I had lost count, I felt my body being yanked backwards into strong arms that wrapped around me like a vice. My arms flailed around as I attempted to reach behind me and strangle whoever had a hold of me. Alas, I was doomed to fail at that goal as well. 

"I'm not going anywhere with you assholes! No way in hell am I willingly getting tested on only to have my memory erased after!"

"Sorry, sexy, but you don't really have a choice in the matter, but on the bright side, if Blaise turns out to be wrong; which he will, then you won't even remember being tested on, so there's that..." the voice behind me trailed off at the end. 

"Right, because that is such a comforting thing to hear when you are being kidnapped in the middle of the night by mythological beasts!" I exclaimed as I continued to struggle against the tight grip that was holding me in place. 

"Enough of this nonsense, you will come with us back to the dragon realm whether you like it or not! Silence your pathetic human squawking this instant and follow quietly, otherwise I may find myself tempted to let my dragon out for some target practice!" Blaise hissed as he stomped over and stared down at me. I immediately ceased my escape attempts as I looked back at him. I had no doubt that this man would gladly follow through on his threat and I didn't want to give him any reason to do so. I reluctantly let my body go limp as my shoulders sagged in defeat.

"There's a good girl, now please don't cause any more trouble. My brother, ever the hot-head, doesn't make threats lightly." I glared at Elios as he gently pried me out of my captor's grasp. I looked backward to find that it had been Terrance. And there I went thinking he was one of the nicer brothers. I shook my head. At this point, none of them were in good standing with me. They may have saved me back in the alley, but they were losing major points by dragging me along with them against my will.

I opened my mouth, a pithy retort on the tip of my tongue, but caught Blaise still staring at me and decided I better not. I had that whole "foot in mouth" disease everyone talked about and it tended to land me in trouble. I was already about to be subjected to who knows what kind of testing; hopefully not the alien probing kind, and angering these men further wasn't going to get me anywhere good. 

The four dragons herded me back down another deserted alley, their eyes glancing furtively in all directions as they checked to make sure that we weren't being followed. I watched them anxiously out of the corner of my eyes as I kept my eyes low but shoulders high. A prison documentary had been playing one day at work and I remembered the narrator suggesting doing so as a way of drawing less attention and figured the sentiment was applicable in my current situation. 

"Here should be fine enough to create the portal. Can we hurry up though? I don't want to risk those dragons waking up and tracking us down!" I heard Elios whisper to his brothers.

The next thing I knew, they were all holding hands and standing in a circle around me with their eyes closed. If I wasn't so terrified, I might have taken this opportunity as my chance to escape, but before I could move a muscle, I felt a powerful force slam into me as a sudden swirl of wind, fire, water, and earth appeared out of nowhere and circled around and around us so fast it would have looked like a solid wall if not for the flashes of colors from each element that swept around the five of us.

I closed my eyes against the barrage of elements; feeling an intense stinging sensation from the combination of heat, wind, rain, and dirt that pelted me from all sides. Great, as if I wasn't filthy enough from the alley grime, now I was wet, cold, hot, and covered in mud. How much worse could things possibly get?

Seconds later, I had my answer. My body was flung forward into the air. I was overcome by the sensation of falling but I couldn't see anything with the elements still attacking me. And then suddenly the flames disappeared, followed by the rest of mother nature and I was finally able to open my eyes again, only to find myself inches away from the ground. 

I screamed as my body slammed down to earth with a painful thud. If the landing hadn't been bad enough, it turns out we had arrived on a rocky hill, which I realized quickly as my momentum pitched me into a tumble down the slope. I winced as I felt the sharp and jagged edges of various stones cutting into my flesh. My view flashed between rock, dirt, sky, and grass, as I continued to roll over and over; dreading the end. This is definitely going to hurt. 

I finally came to a halt at the bottom of the hill and groaned loudly. I stayed sprawled out on the ground, too sore and tired to move.

I heard shouts of laughter from above me as four dragons soared over my head; the sun reflecting off of their wings and causing me to squint against the bright light before they landed once more in a circle around me - now in their human forms again.

"Need some help, short stack?" I heard one of the brothers ask, his voice filled with mirth as he leaned down over me.

I smacked away the arm that was extended out to me. Dignity be damned - I had left that back at the top of the hill, but I still had my pride and I refused to have help getting back to my feet from the very monsters who had put me in such a precarious position in the first place. Stupid portal. Stupid dragons. Stupid hill. I had a lot more curses in mind as I got to my feet but kept them to myself.

I bit my lip as muscles contracted and nerve endings shot messages of complaint up my spinal chord to my brain. Holly hell, that's gonna smart for days. I could already feel bruises starting to form in giant ugly patches all over my arms and legs as I did my best to brush off as much dirt as possible from my clothes while shaking my hair out; for all the good it did me. Nothing I did right now was going to make me look any less pathetic...

"No one say a single word!" I spat out as I glared at the four men; wishing I had the power to knock them over on their asses at the smug looks on their faces. 

"Of course not, we wouldn't dare," said Caspian as he motioned for me to start walking back up the hill. I rolled my eyes as he winked at me and helped pull me over a boulder that was almost taller than I was. 

The climb back up the hill was just as painful as my trip down had been, and I was thrilled when I looked up to see the top was in sight.

I stared wide-eyed as we finally crested the hill and I got a good view of where we had arrived. Perched in front of me was the strangest looking building I had ever seen. It reminded me of a castle with all the towers, pillars, and archways, but I also noticed large round outcroppings spaced at various locations and heights and I couldn't figure out what they could possibly be for. Oh wait, dragons...The sections must be landing pads like they have for helicopters and whatnot; only these were more than double the size. 

I felt a rough; yet strangely gentle, hand push against the middle of my back, startling me into stepping forward towards whatever fate awaited me.


	5. Chapter Three

I glanced left and right as the five of us approached the building; which I realized now, was actually several buildings.

"That building over there is where us students sleep. The buildings that surround it house the main classrooms," Caspian started to explain as he pointed out different areas.

"What is this place? Some sort of school? A school for dragons?" I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled forth as I thought about how strange that sounded. I'm sure to them, it was nothing out of the ordinary, but it just seemed so bizarre to me. Dragons, actual dragons...waking up in the morning and going to school everyday; sitting in classes, taking notes, doing homework...just like every other human student on earth. I don't know what I expected a dragon's lifestyle to be like, but it wasn't this.

"College, actually, but basically yes. Every dragon has to learn to control their urges otherwise things get very ugly, and what better place to do that, than at a school?" Elios answered.

"It, it just seems so...so human, I guess?" I said, slowly, not sure how to phrase my comment in a way that didn't come off as offensive.

"Yeah, well, this might come as a shock to you, but dragons existed long before humans. You humans are descendants of us dragons; not the other way around," answered Blaise, giving me a reproachful look as he stalked forward.

I scowled back at him, trying to hide my surprise at this news. 

I continued to walk in silence as I followed the four men into one of the buildings and down several corridors. Where are they taking me?

Too bad I couldn't ask them; I had a strong feeling that they wouldn't be answering any of my questions anytime soon. With every step I took, I was getting more and more nervous about the testing they had mentioned earlier. I really did not like the sound of being poked and prodded. Did anyone?

Ten minutes later we finally stopped outside of a large set of oak doors with thick door handles covered in what looked like metal dragon scales. 

Caspian walked forward and used the heavy door knocker three times before stepping back once more. 

"Just one moment!" I heard a raspy voice cry out. 

I took a deep breath as I waited impatiently for the door to open. When it finally did, I found myself facing the oldest looking man; well dragon, I guess, I had ever seen in my life. I didn't know if ethnicity worked the same way here, but the man standing before me looked like he was of Asian descent. But for all I knew, there were a whole set of different states, countries, and continents, in this realm.

"Professor Pyrion, thank you for seeing us!" Caspian hurried to say. "We ran into some trouble earlier tonight and discovered something that may or may not be important," Caspian continued to say as he glanced over at Blaise and I. I rolled my eyes. His words weren't exactly very eloquent. But I had more serious things to worry about than the way Caspian chose to phrase his sentences...

"Of course, gentleman, come on in, come on in! Sit down and tell me everything that happened from the start." The professor ushered us all into the room and closed the door behind us. I glanced around the room as I nervously joined the four guys on the couch. "Would anyone like a cup of tea? I just made a fresh pot!" Professor Pyrion asked politely as he held up an ornate tea pot. We all nodded; me, more out of politeness than anything else. I didn't want tea...I wanted to get the bloody hell out of here!

I stared around the room as the others began to tell the Professor what happened over the course of our evening. If I hadn't had so many other things on my mind, I might have noticed the fact that it was dark outside when we had left, but bright and sunny when we arrived in the dragon realm or whatever this place was called. 

The Professor's office was filled with the oddest assortment of doohickeys I had ever seen. I had no idea what any of his stuff was, but they screamed luxury and opulence; most of his possessions being solid gold or silver or inlayed with the most dazzling sets of stones. Rubies, emeralds, lapis lazuli, and pearls, glinted at me from all sides. I couldn't help but feel jealous as I thought how just one single object in this room would have been enough to keep me living a life of wealth back home; and this old man had a whole room full!

I continued to sit and stare around the room as the evenings excursions were detailed out to the Professor. I didn't bother to give my input as I knew nothing I had to say would matter to these dragons. 

About an hour went by before I was startled out of my thoughts by the old dragon suddenly standing up and stalking over towards me. 

"Can you show me your abilities, little one? These young dragons sitting beside you might not be able to sense anything but human from you, but I have seen centuries fly by before they were even born and my magic is strong enough to break through whatever protection is blocking your power from being detected." I blinked up at Professor Pyrion in surprise. He's lived for centuries?! Holy moly! And hold on, did he just call me little? Why must everyone make that mistake?

"I'm not little!" The words burst forth before I could stop them. I had wanted to say something that sounded intelligent or at least like something a normal person would say, instead I chose to blurt out the first thing that came to mind. Way to go Ari, way to go...I mentally patted myself on the back for my excellent choice of words.

"Everyone is "little" compared to me, but what should I call you if not by that name?" 

"I think I heard someone call her by Samantha at the bar?" I heard Terrance offer up. I shook my head but chose not to correct him. I didn't trust these men one bit so no way in hell was I going to give them my real name; Aria. 

"I go by Sammy," I mumbled, hoping no one could sense my lie. It wasn't a full lie, since I had been going by Sammy for the last three months. From the mischevous gleam in the professor's eyes, I had a feeling he saw right through it, but if he did, he didn't say anything to my immense relief. 

"Okay, then, Sammy. I will ask again, can you demonstrate your abilities for me so that I may assess them?" I frowned, was this the "testing" portion of the day? Or was this just the prequel?

"I don't know what you are talking about," I hesistated as the professor eyed me suspiciously. I glanced over at the four boys sitting on either side of me. I didn't want them to know that I was the reason for all of the chaos that had happened in the alley. None of us had gotten hurt, but they hadn't seemed very happy about what had transpired. 

"Would the four of you give us the honour of privacy?" I glanced up to see the guys giving the professor cold looks. "My appologies for the inconvienience, but I think the girl would be more comfortable without you in the room making her nervous," the professor added. Why was he talking to them as if they were royalty? It was his office! Plus, he was apparently centuries older than they were, seems like they should have been the one showing the professor their respect, not the other way around. Everything about this whole situation seemed the opposite of what it should be. 

"He's right, guys. He will be able to get a better result if we aren't around potentially interfering with the process. I don't think Blaise is right, but if there happens to be any truth behind his accusations, than we need to know as much about her as we can. I narrowed my eyes at Terrance as he said this. I hated being talked about as if I wasn't in the room. 

"Fine, we'll be waiting right outside the door, just don't take too long, I refuse to stand around waiting. I have better things to be doing!" Blaise stomped out of the room, sending me one final glare of frustration before he did. 

"They are gone now, so will you tell me the truth now? It will be best for you in the long run since I will get the truth whether you tell it or not, has no one ever told you it is impossible to lie to a dragon; or for a dragon to lie?" 

"Well of course not! No one has told me anything about dragons! Up until a few hours ago, I didn't think they existed!" I exclaimed angrily. Though unable to help but draw an uncomfortable connection. I had never been able to lie growing up. It had gotten me into trouble several times over until I had learned how to dodge the truth as best as possible. Did that mean there was a possibility I really was a dragon? I had to stop myself from going down that path. It was absurd! No way was I one! I had never woke up to find myself covered with scales all over my body, nor talons, or a tail!

"I don't doubt the truth behind your lack of knowledge over the existence of dragons, it is quite clear you know nothing," I frowned at this. Hey, I'm not stupid! I may not know a lot of things, but it's not like I wasn't intelligent enough to have survived this long! Though from the way things were going, the odds of me making it to next week; let alone tomorrow morning, were not in my favor. "What I need to know the truth about, is your gift. Blaise said that you were able to control fire. He seemed quite adamant about the fact it wasn't him earlier and I believe he is telling the truth whether his friends think the same or not. Now, I don't know if any of those youngsters bothered to explain why it it is almost impossible for you to have control over fire in the manner that you do? But it is a very rare gift to be able to directly control or manipulate any of the elements."

"You think I'm a dragon, right? But how can I be? The guys said I smelled human to them; though I like to think I smell just fine, thank you; better than anyone else who has had to survive their whole life living on the streets!" I caught myself as I started to go off on a tangent. Professor Pyrion smiled kindly at me as he held up a hand and motioned for me to stop talking.

"Yes, you give off a distinctly human scent. However, as I mentioned earlier, I am older than most dragons and your protection charms, while very good, don't fool me."

"What protection charms? I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. This is completely absurd! I am not a dragon!" I stood up and started pacing around the room. 

"You truly believe that, don't you," the professor stated, not bothering to phrase his words as a question. 

"Wouldn't I know by now if I was a dragon? I hate to break it to you, but I don't have scales, or a, a tail, or horns, or, or anything dragonish!" I stomped over to the large window and stared out at the grassy field. How ironic. The world seemed so peaceful on the other side of the glass, while on my side, it was nothing but chaos. Story of my life...everything beautiful in life right in front of my face for me to see, and yet, out of reach. I lifted my arm and traced random patterns against the clear panel as I stared out at the students that walked in and out of view.

"If the protection charms were not of your doing, perhaps your parents might know? If we could reach out to them and -"

"No!" I declared coldly as my body went numb.

"Look, I know this is a lot to take in, but the sooner we get answers the sooner -"

"It's not that I don't want answers, believe me, I want them more than any of you, but my parents are out of the question -" I started to say. I trailed off, not wanting to complete my sentence. I was sick of the looks of pity and regret I always received any time I told someone about my parents.

"If I could just -" the professor continued to press. 

"They are dead. So I'm going to stop you now. They didn't tell me anything about dragons or powers or anything about anything! They were murdered a long time ago and I've been hunted ever since that night. I have no idea why and there is no one else to ask. You know as much about me as I do..." I said, cutting the professor off. Try as I might, I was unable to disguise the resentment that saturated my voice.

I watched as the professor slowly sat back down in the chair behind his desk and interlaced his fingers before staring at me with clear disappointment.

"Well that is certainly quite a setback, but should not be impossible to work around. If you are okay with it, I would like you to stay on here at the school until we are able to learn more about your abilities and what you are exactly."

I turned around to look the professor in the eye. 

"You're saying I have a choice whether I stay or leave?" I was hopeful, but doubtful.

"Of course! We're not monsters here; going around holding people against their will," the professor said, failing to mask his surprise. I rolled my eyes. Really, you're shocked? That is exactly what just happened to me; not to mention, isn't kidnapping young girls and hoarding treasure what all the books said about dragons? In addition, by definition, everyone here was a monster! Though it was yet to be determined whether good or bad...but if dragons were anything like humans, things weren't going to be black and white around here.

"Could of had me fooled," I mumbled as I glared at him and scratched at a few of the scrapes on my arms that were itching.

"I apologize on behalf of those impudent hatchlings. Their actions were uncalled for, nevertheless, try not to be so quick to judge the rest of the dragons here; assuming you decide to stay on for a bit. The decision is entirely yours, but I'd recommend giving it at least a week before you decide for good. If you decide to go back to the human world, there would be no coming back, ever. And if you decide to stay, as I said, we might be able to help you control your ability; you might learn more about yourself as well as your past. What do you say?"

What the professor was asking didn't seem entirely unreasonable. A week and then I could chose to stay or leave. That sounded a lot better than the invasive testing and forced memory wiping the brothers had mentioned at first. That thought reminded me of something.

"If I decide to go back, would my memory be erased? I heard it being mentioned," I inquired. 

"Unfortunately, yes. Knowledge of this realm must remain a secret from the humans. That is paramount. Rest assured, the memory wiping process is painless, but yes, it would be necessary for the protection of all dragons - and for your own as well. There are small groups of humans who have learned of our existence and if they ever found out you knew anything about us, they would come looking for you." The professor looked at me gravely as he said this and I shuddered. As if I needed anyone else hunting me down!

"Do you think these individuals you mentioned might be the ones who killed my parents and are already hunting me? Maybe they already think I know something?"

"Perhaps, it is certainly a possibility. We can look into the matter further if you decide to stay beyond the week, but for now, have those rascals outside take you to one of our healers to get looked at. And then I daresay you could use some food and rest."

I nodded my head and slowly backed away towards the door. That hadn't gone as badly as I was expecting. Maybe things wouldn't be so horrible here? From the sound of it, I might be able to finally learn to control my abilities, though everyone still seemed to be under the illusion that it was just fire that I could command at will. Since no one had directly asked me if I could manipulate all four, I didn't have to worry about lying about that detail, but I had a feeling it would become a problem if they ever did find out. 

Ugh, that will be a problem for tomorrow. For now, I just wanted to get these wounds taken care of and then some food in my belly. I looked down as my stomach growled, clearly agreeing with that particular thought. I nodded my head once more at the professor before pushing the heavy doors open and exiting the office with a heavy sigh of relief that I hadn't been poked or prodded - yet...


	6. Chapter Four

The guys jumped to attention as soon as the office door opened. As always, Blaise had a deep scowl on his face. Seriously? I was starting to wonder if that guy had any other setting! 

Caspian, Blaise, Terrance, and Elios lead me back down the hallways and out of the building and across the lawn I had been staring out at only moments before. I looked to the left and caught a glimpse of Professor Pyrion sitting in his chair drinking his tea. I clapped my hand over my mouth to stop myself from giggling out loud at the sight. I stopped in my tracks. Something about this place seemed to have released another; lighter hearted, side of me. I could not remember the last time I had almost giggled like a little girl. Something was definitely wrong with me! Don't you go drinking the kool aid, Ari! I really needed to get out of here as soon as possible if I was suddenly letting my guards down! I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but there was something about this place that almost seemed familiar. However, there was no way that was possible and it was too risky to stay here if my brain was going to start going loopy on me.

I smiled at Caspian as he held open the door to another building for me. Nice to see that even in a realm of beasts, chivalry still existed. I couldn't name one guy back on earth who had ever done me such a courtesy. I shook my head as I realized I was again, letting my guard down. At any moment, any one of these men could turn into a giant winged monster and rip my body to shreds and gobble me up for a mid afternoon snack. Now was not the time to get complacent; no matter how nice Caspian was being to me. To get my mind back on track, I looked over to Blaise. His scowling expression was exactly what I needed to sober my thoughts back up.

As I continued to trail after the boys, I did my best not to notice the several stares I was receiving from the other students meandering around. I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear as I looked down at my feet self consciously. I hated it; but I went shy as a mouse whenever I felt like I was the center of attention. Most of the females I served at the bar loved being at the focus of everyone's attention, but I had never particularly enjoyed the feeling of being watched. I probably would not have as much of an aversion to the limelight if it weren't for the fact that I had been hunted my entire life by people who wanted to kill me, but sadly, such was my life. 

Several minutes later, we finally came to a stop. This time it was Terrance who pulled the door open for me with a wink that I tried my best to ignore. The room that met my gaze was another surprisingly human one. It reminded me exactly of every hospital wing I had ever seen. I was starting to think there might be some truth to what Professor Pyrion said about humans being descended from dragons. It certainly would explain all the similarities. Be that as it may, it was still hard to wrap my mind around the idea that dragons had been around for who knows how many centuries longer than humans. How had they been able to exist for so long without anyone realizing they were real? To be fair, most humans didn't like to accept change easily so it was not impossible to imagine that anyone who had tried to speak up about the truth over the years had been quickly silenced or written off as mentally insane. But still...Clearly there had been enough belief in them for the fables and mythology to exist, but I would be curious to know if there had ever been a time where dragons and humans had coexisted peacefully. The way Professor Pyrion had stressed so strongly the need for humans to stay ignorant about the existence of dragons had given me the impression that he was speaking from personal experience. 

The door had barely closed behind us before there was a flurry of movement in front of me and I suddenly found myself staring at the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. She had long blonde hair that fell in soft curls past her shoulders and sharp distinct facial features that gave her the appearance of being in her mid to late twenties. However, the gleam in her eyes showed a wisdom that spanned several decades.

"Hello, your maje-" she suddenly broke off and I looked over to see Elios and his brothers shaking their heads at her with glares in my direction. Blaise, I understood, I mean he was always glaring at one thing or another, but I couldn't understand why the others were upset as well. As if nothing had just happened, the female turned to me with a sweep of her pearly white dress and strode over to me. "Well, hello there, dear. My name is Hyperiona, but everyone just calls me Peri." 

"Geeze, Pyrion, Peri, what's next? Pyrios?" I grumbled softly to myself, already picturing myself messing up with all of these names.

"I know, my husband and I have very similar names. We joke about it all the time," Peri said with a soft laugh. Oh, crap. She must have heard me. 

"Husband? Wait, Professor Pyrion is your husband?" I clamped my mouth shut before I could fit anymore of my foot in it. But holy fuck, my mind did not need the mental images that were flashing before my eyes as I tried to imagine the old Professor Pyrion with the stunningly gorgeous female in front of me. Not to say that Pyrion was ugly or anything. In fact, the ages had been kind to him and I had no doubt that he had been quite the heart breaker in his day, but no offense, how the hell had he managed to land such a catch? 

"I am far older than I look, dear. But yes, Pyrion is my mated." I frowned at the unfamiliar term but decided to worry about that later. I just wanted to get this over with. I had never liked human hospitals and had a feeling I would not like dragon ones any better. Peri ushered me over to one of the large empty beds that lined the sides of the room. I sat nervously at the edge as I tried not to notice the fact that the bed was large enough to fit a dragon body and my tiny human frame was but a small blip in the white canvas. Hyperiona hovered over me, tutting every so often as she examined the many, many, scrapes and bruises that adorned my limbs.

"You poor dear. What happened to you? What manner of mischief have these young rascals gotten you into? You look like you took a tumble off a cliff!" Peri commented as she went to grab a bottle of strange looking liquid. 

"That is precisely what happened," I hissed softly as she started spreading the purple liquid over my arms. "Fuck, that stings like a bitch! Whoops, pardon my french," I exclaimed as she looked at me reproachfully. I grinned at her as everyone but Blaise laughed loudly.   
"I knew there was a reason I liked her," I heard Elios comment as I clenched my teeth against the pain as Peri moved down to cover my legs in the strange purple goo. I chose to ignore his words and shut my eyes. I didn't want to appear weak in front of these dragons - well, any weaker than they must already think me to be judging from the way Blaise was looking at me. I didn't need to be a mind reader to see his clear disdain for me. And while the other brothers were treating me far better than he had so far, I could still sense their mistrust and suspicion as well; they were just better at not being so open about it as Blaise was being.

My eyes opened wide as I suddenly felt as if my body was on fire. I looked down at myself and screamed. Flames had erupted all over my body wherever the purple slime had been smeared; which was almost everywhere...was this supposed to be happening? Or were my powers out of control again? I glanced up in fear at Peri and opened my mouth to ask, but before I could, I was overcome by a stabbing pain worse than anything I had ever experienced; and that's saying something, since I'd already been shot and stabbed enough times to be familiar with pain. 

"It's working...it's actually working? It should not be working! That should have killed her as soon as the healing started to take effect! No human has ever survived a dragon healing!" I vaguely heard Caspian exclaim in shocked awe as my vision swam and stars danced in my eyes. My body started to convulse and I screamed again as the fire within me begged to be released and join the flames that covered every inch of my exposed skin. 

"I would not call this a bloody healing!" I managed to grunt out as I squeezed my hands into fists. It felt like I was being burned alive. As my body continued to spasm against my will, the small part of my brain that was still working caught onto the fact that this stupid purple substance was supposedly meant to have killed me already. That confirmed it! I was right not to trust anyone around here. One minute they were claiming that I had the right to leave whenever I wanted and the next, claiming to want to take care of my wounds while in reality, covering me with toxic chemicals that were about to kill me. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Peri's face hovering over me with a worried expression. 

C'est la vie, world, I thought as I shut my eyes once more. This is what you get for trusting a dragon, Ari. Never trust a dragon. 

********************************************

I woke up to the sound of hushed voices. I blinked blearily around me as I struggled to sit up. I moved slowly, expecting to feel my muscles ache in protest, but nothing of the sort happened. I frowned as I reached my arms above my arms and stretched them as far as they would go. Yup, nothing. In fact, I felt completely revived and more energized than I would have thought humanly possible. I guess that was my mistake, since nothing about any of this was human. 

"Silence, you four should know better than to squabble like little hatchlings in a place of healing! She's waking up and if you know what is good for you, you will let the matter rest for now and focus on doing as my husband requested and get the girl fed." I glanced over to see Hyperiona towering over Caspian, Terrance, Elios, and Blaise like a mother hen as she scolded them. I laughed to myself as I watched the four men cowering in the face of her fury. It was definitely a sight that I found entertaining to watch. 

"Welcome back to the land of the living, little one," Peri said as she helped me back to my feet. I stretched and yawned loudly as I checked myself over. My previously marred skin was completely flawless now. Not only had whatever healing process I had just been through healed my injuries from the other night, but every single injury I had ever had. Just to be sure, I lifted my shirt up and ran my fingers across my stomach. Gone were the bullet and stab wounds that had always irritated me so much. 

"They're gone..." I commented in surprise.

"What's gone, sweetie?" Peri asked. I blinked up at her, not realizing I had spoken out loud. 

"My scars. All of them are gone. Look!" I said as I pointed out where my scars should have been.  
"Oh, that. Yeah, dragon healing gets rid of any blemishes no matter how small. There aren't many things that can permanently scar a dragon," she informed me as she looked at me with pity. "It's a shame you haven't been healed before now, those bullet wounds could have easily been taken care of." I looked at her as I shrugged, deciding not to remind her that I wasn't a dragon. 

"Those were nothing. The stab wounds were worse; but all manageable," I said with a shrug as I lowered my shirt back down.

"You've been shot and stabbed before? Why does that not surprise me?" I heard Blaise comment with a snort. I wasn't the only one who turned to glare at him this time.

"Shut up, Blaise. Don't worry, Sammy! We won't let that happen again. No one is hurting our Sammy again, right guys?" 

"Our?" I asked, raising my brows at Terrance as he received nods from Caspian and Elios; though I noticed Blaise crossing his arms. Not that I cared. I didn't belong to anyone. "I am not yours, Terrance, or your brothers. I'm not some dragon treasure you four can squabble over!" I stomped towards the door and opened it widely before realizing I had no idea where I was or where to go. 

"I beg to differ, sweetness," growled Elios as he left the room and walked ahead of me. I rolled my eyes. What was with these guys! Were all dragons this possessive over random strangers they picked up at a bar? Or was that just me and my unfortunate luck? 

Once again I found myself trailing after the four boys as they lead me to what I assumed would be the kitchen. Despite the sudden rush of energy I seemed to have after being burned alive, I still felt exhausted and just wanted to grab a quick bite before going back to sleep. No, I was not stupid to pass up on a free meal, but that didn't mean I wanted to linger any longer than necessary. 

I groaned loudly as my plans for a speedy meal were dashed. The guys had led me to what passed as a dragon's version of a college cafeteria. There would be no way I was going to get in and get out like I had intended. Not to mention all the eyes that I found suddenly pointed in my direction; everyone wanting to know who the human girl was. 

The five of us joined the line at the front of the room as I did my best to ignore the whispers of everyone around me. What, has no one here ever seen a human before? 

"No," I heard Elios say. 

"What?" I said, looking over at him.

"You are the first human to ever be let inside these walls. Most of the dragons here have never even been to the human realm." I turned sharply to him. Had he just read my mind? No Way! "Before you ask, yes, I heard your thoughts just now, but no, I am not a mind reader," Elios said with a wrinkle of his brows at the idea. Yeah, because he's the one who should be troubled most by the thought of him being able to read my mind! Never mind how I might feel...these men were irritating me more and more with each passing second. The level of arrogance and inconsideration was astounding. 

"Seriously, I can't read your mind. Your facial expressions are quite easy to read, princess. My abilities allow me a certain level of access, but it's more complicated than it sounds. Rest assured, I don't go around violating people's minds willy nilly. Scout's honor!" he said with a wink as he held the palm of his right hand up to me. Right, because that is so reassuring...

"Wait, if no one ever goes to the human world, then what were you four doing at the bar?" I asked, my curiosity piqued as I let Elios pile my plate high with human food. Along with burgers, sandwiches, soups, and salads, there were several strange meat dishes that I didn't dare go anywhere near as they were oozing with blood and barely looked cooked. Eck!

"I didn't say no one ever goes, just that most of the dragons here never have. My brothers and I love to visit the humans. You all are so entertaining with your petty squabbles, alcohol, and short lifespans." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as he grinned wickedly at me as he showed me over to an empty table in the middle of the room and pulled out a chair for me. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw several girls glaring at me as he did so and this time I did roll my eyes. He is all yours ladies; stuck up ass and all. 

I moaned with joy as I bit into the sandwich Elios had snatched for me. It had been such a very long time since I had last had anything to eat. 

"Damn, that's hot," I heard Terrance say as I finished scarfing down my food and slowly licked my fingers clean with a sigh of content as my belly thanked me. I blushed a brilliant shade of red as I finally looked up from my plate to find all four dragons staring hungrily at me; their meals untouched. 

"What?" I said, grabbing a napkin and wiping my face quickly. "Is there something on my face?" As if I needed any more reasons to be embarrassed.

"No, you look as gorgeous as always, doll," Terrance said as he nudged his brothers to start eating. 

"Will you please stop with the nicknames already?" 

"Never." 

Before I could respond, the chair next to me was pulled out abruptly and a body slammed down next to me. I looked over to my right and stared at the girl in front of me in surprise. What was with everyone around here looking like they walked out of some sort of modeling magazine! 

"Heyya, I'm Blair. Who are you?" She said, cheerfully sticking out her hand to me.


	7. Chapter Five

"Oh, um, hi! You can call me Sammy," I replied as I stared at the girl in shock. She had a short pixie haircut that highlighted her sharp features. I also noted that her nose was pierced as well as one of her eyebrows. I had served plenty of guys and girls at the bar who had any number of their body parts pierced but never really thought it was a good look for anyone to have. Nevertheless, on this fiery red headed female, it worked. I reached out and returned the handshake as I looked at the black leather jacket and matching boots that completed her outfit. 

"So you're the human girl everyone has been talking about! You don't seem that scary," Blair commented as she started to dig into one of the meat dishes I had seen earlier. I laughed.

"You've got to be kidding me. The dragons here are scared of me! Me?" I guess not all dragons are brave if the majority of the school's population was terrified of one human girl. 

"More like, of humans in general, not specifically you. We were raised to be very cautious of the human world since all the old dragons are paranoid of our existence being discovered. Personally, I think the old farts just need to take chill pills and unknot their knickers." I laughed loudly. I liked her.

"Blair!" Blaise exclaimed with a frown. 

"Don't give me that look, brother! I know for a fact that you feel the same as I do." I turned to stare at Blair.

"Wait, you two are related?" My eyes flickered back and forth between the two red heads. Hair color was the only thing at first glance that the two shared, but the closer I looked, the more I noticed other similarities. They also shared the same pointed jaw and nose.   
"I know, it's hard to believe. If it wasn't already obvious, I'm the fun sibling! Blaise, over there, is the stuck up, boring one." I laughed for a third time as I nodded.  
"Yeah, I noticed as much. Does he ever smile? Matter of fact, does he even know how to smile?"  
"Oohh, I like her! Can I keep her?" Blair turned to look at the four guys sitting at the table, her body practically vibrating as she bounced up and down in her chair excitedly. Then she turned back to face me. "We've been asking that question for years. I think I saw him crack a smile once when we were kids - but it was so long ago now, I don't know if it is a real memory or one I constructed for myself," she added with a wink. I coughed as I fought the urge to laugh yet again. As much as I liked Blair already, I could tell that hanging out with her was dangerous. In less than ten minutes she had made me laugh more than I had thought I was capable of. Had I not just given myself a lecture about making sure I kept my guard up? I needed to remain alert at all times!

"I resent that," Blaise said, still scowling. "I know how to have fun, but one of us has to be responsible! We can't both go flying around shirking our duties," he added, shaking his head reproachfully at his sister; though I thought I saw a flicker of regret in his eyes. 

I stopped paying attention to what the siblings said as they started bickering back and forth; my focus having suddenly been diverted down to my thigh as something soft and incredibly warm covered the length of it. 

"What the bloody blazes do you think you are doing?" I growled at Elios; whose hand had snaked down under the tabletop to land on my leg. 

"What I want," he answered with a shifty grin as he extended one of his fingers and began to trace a circular pattern with it. I hissed as I glared at him, attempting to ignore how pleasant the sensation was and hoping that no one noticed the low moan that escaped my lips as his hand started to inch higher. My cheeks burned when I saw Terrance and Caspian's ears twitch as they turned to stare at the spot where Elios's hand disappeared from sight. I even saw Blaise glance at me quickly before returning to his argument with Blair. How completely mortifying! I continued to glare at Elios as he grinned down at me. I shifted uncomfortably as liquid heat spread throughout my body at his touch. From the sly smirks the brothers were sending each other, they knew exactly what was happening and could sense my reaction. As I squirmed in my seat, a small part of me noticed that I had yet to attempt to remove Elios's hand...This was so unfair! Why did these men have to be so freakishly attractive? It was incredibly unsettling to say the least. 

"Keep your hands to yourself, buddy!" I finally managed to declare as my mind cleared and I was able to resist the urge to find the nearest empty room. I shook his arm off roughly as I scooted as far from him as possible; causing me to bump into Blair. She stopped talking as she looked down at me and then towards Elios.   
"Aww, poor Sammy. Was Elios being a bad dragon? You'll have to watch out for him; well all of them really...They don't seem able to comprehend the idea that not every female wants to sleep with them," Blair said with a laugh as she draped an arm over my shoulder and pulled me closer. I heard several growls from the guys as she did so but Blair just chuckled and tugged me further into her side. "You four keep your sticky claws off of my new bestie!" 

Before I could open my mouth to say anything, a loud gong echoed throughout the room. 

"That would be the warning bell. Evening classes will be starting in ten minutes," Blair explained, seeing the confusion on my face. I stood up and followed the four guys over to the trash cans where we dumped out our trash and then set our plates on the revolving apparatus that would carry the dirty dishes into the back of the kitchen to be cleaned. I waved back at Blair as she dashed past us.

"So, what now?" I asked as I faced the dragons before me. 

"Now? Now we get your cute butt into bed," Terrance replied with a grin. I blushed at the look on his face as I rolled my eyes at him. Were all dragons this incorrigible? 

Back out onto the grassy fields we went and I stared up at the sky as I watched several dragons flying around above my head. The next thing I knew, I was colliding into a solid body. I smiled apologetically up at Caspian as he chuckled and reached out to steady me on my feet. 

"I think one tumble is enough for today, don't you?" I huffed in irritation, but nodded in agreement as we trailed after the three in front of us. "I can see we are going to have to keep a close eye on you, sugar. You strike me as the clumsy type," Caspian commented as we caught up to the others. 

"Hey! I'm not that clumsy!" I exclaimed...right as I tripped over a stray rock on the ground and would have gone flying forward if it hadn't been for the arm that quickly wrapped around me.  
"I beg to differ," Blaise said with a scowl as he removed his grip from me and brushed off my attempt to thank him. I kept my eyes on the ground the rest of the way; determined to prove him wrong.   
"Wow...this is...wow," was all I could say when the door opened to the suite that would be my place for the night. The interior housed a large open lounge area filled with expensive looking furniture. There were four doors on each side that must lead to the bedrooms. 

"You will be staying here for the time being. There are only three girls living here at the moment so Professor Pyrion gave orders for the fourth room to be made up for you," Terrance said as he walked over towards the door on the right and pulled it open for me. I felt my jaw drop. That was one mighty fine looking bed! It was the nicest bed I had ever seen, let alone would have the pleasure of sleeping on. Don't get comfortable, Ari. This is only temporary, I reminded myself as I walked into the room and sat down with my legs crossed in the center of the bed. I looked around the room and spotted another door that must lead to a private bathroom. I spent the next few minutes taking in the scenery before a sudden cough reminded me that I wasn't alone. 

"We'll leave you to get some rest, if you need anything, our quarters are located right across the field. Just walk in a straight line over the hill; you can't miss it," Blaise said; his tone of voice making it clear that he was hoping I wouldn't be taking him up on his offer. Oh, please, I know better than to expect any help from you, Blaise. 

I waved the guys out of my room and walked over to the dresser to discover that a set of pajamas had been brought out for me. I stripped off my dirt covered clothes and draped the clean ones over my body to find that they fit perfectly. I was too tired to question this as I clambered back onto the bed and slipped under the covers with a heavy sigh of relief. 

*****************************************************************************************************

I woke up to the loud crash of my door being kicked in. Before I could realize what was going on, a pair of hands were yanking me by my hair out of the bed and into the living room. 

"What the fuck!" I cried out as I blinked up at the three girls that loomed over me; their pretty faces marred by the angry looks they were giving me. 

"We don't want some pathetic human girl hanging around here. Get out!" I slowly got to my feet; not needing to be told twice. I had barely gotten more than a few feet towards the door before I found myself being knocked back down.   
"If you know what is best for you, human, you will return from where you came. Your kind doesn't belong in the dragon realm." 

I hissed in pain as the three brunettes started kicking and punching every inch of me they could reach. I curled up in a ball, protecting my face and vital organs as best as possible. When the three had finally had enough, they yanked me back up, opened a window, and sent me sailing out into the night air. I groaned as I landed with a crash; my head slamming hard into the ground, causing my ears to ring. I sat up with a grunt and waited until the ringing had died down to a dull buzzing before standing back up and looking back at the building and noting that I had just fallen four stories. I cursed, not knowing what I was supposed to do now. It wasn't like I knew where anything around here was, let alone how to make a portal to get back home...

That isn't entirely true, I realized as I remembered what Blaise had said before he, Terance, Elios, and Caspian had left earlier. But did I really want to embarrass myself further by showing up in the middle of the night on their doorstep like a lost puppy? I resisted the urge to scream in frustration as the logical side of my brain battled with the emotional side. In the end, logic won out. It wasn't like I had any other options. 

I mumbled a string of curses as I started to make my way over the field, doing my best to brush off some of the dirt that now covered my clothes. This was beyond ridiculous...I couldn't even go twenty four hours without being covered in some sort of gross substance! First it was dirt, then purple goo, and now dirt again. 

The cold night air had formed droplets of dew everywhere which made the grass wet and softened the ground enough that my latest tumble had sent me into a pile of mud. I stomped my way forward, regretting more than anything else that I didn't have my shoes. I couldn't care less that those bitches didn't want me staying with them, but at the very least, they could have let me grab my shoes before tossing me out on my ass! My feet were frozen and covered with mud up to my ankles by the time I reached the top of the hill and started down the other side. 

Just like Blaise had said, I was able to spot my destination with ease. I had been expecting to find another large building similar to the one I had just been sent flying out of, but instead, I found myself staring at what looked like a cottage from a story book. It had even been built right at the edge of a forest and had a quaint little chimney that was blowing clouds of smoke into the night sky. I rolled my eyes. Just add it to the growing list of things that seemed straight out of a damn fairytale around here.  
I trudged my way forward; avoiding the larger puddles of mud, but unable to avoid them entirely. Great, just great.

I finally made it down the hill; which was good, but raised a new concern. The path that led to the cottage was, of course, lined with pebbles. I groaned as I gingerly shifted my weight and tried to proceed as light-footed as I could. The small stones cut deep into the soles of my feet and I winced with each step. I glanced up and groaned again. I'm sure under the light of day; when I wasn't bruised and shoeless, the path would have been easy enough; but under my present circumstances, the house appeared unreasonably far off. 

What couldn't have been more than a few hundred yards of path took me more than an hour to cross. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating just a smidge, but it sure felt like it took that long as I was making agonizingly slow progress. If I didn't know about dragon healing I would be worried that I might never walk the same after this. Even in the dark, I could see that the mud covering my toes was now mixed with blood and remnants of stone. 

Eventually I reached the door to the house and I moaned in relief as I knocked loudly on the door. I heard several grunts and the sound of shifting movement from within as lights turned on inside. A few minutes later, the door was finally opened. 

"Hey," I grinned sheepishly at the four pairs of eyes that gazed at me. "Don't suppose I could crash here tonight?"


	8. Chapter Six

Caspian, Terrance, Blaise, and Elios stared at me in stunned silence for several minutes; their eyes peering sleepily at their unexpected late-night guest. I looked at each of them nervously, wondering if they were going to let me in or turn me away. From the glare that Blaise was sending me it was hard to say. His expression could be due to the late hour of my arrival or from the idea of me spending the night...if it wasn't for the hint of worry I glimpsed in his eyes as he took in my disheveled state, I would have been inclined to lean towards the latter as the most plausible explanation.

The seconds continued to tick by and eventually I had enough of it. I was cold, wet, covered in dirt, bleeding, and exhausted. I leaned over onto the railing, trying to shift some of the weight off my poor feet.

"So, is that a yes, or a no? Perhaps I should just camp out here on the balcony? I've slept worse..." I trailed off as the guys finally seemed to come to their senses and stood back from the doorway to wave me inside.

As soon as I had fully entered the living room, there was a round of curses that would have made any sailor proud as the boys were able to get a better look at me under the glow of light coming from one of the lamps that had been turned on. I stared around the room as the guys circled me like hunters do when their prey is in sight.

"Holy dragon scales, what in the blazes happened to you?" Terrance asked.

"No offense, sweetie pie, but you look like you just got run over by a stampede of wild gnomes!" Elios exclaimed.  
"You poor thing. Look at you, all covered from head to toe in bruises. I'll kiss and make it better!" Elios stated as he darted forward to do just that.

"The hell you will!" I cried out, stepping backwards to get away from him. In doing so, I collided with something behind me. I turned around to see that I had backed up into Blaise. Perfect. "Sorry," I told him, wincing as I put too much weight on my left foot and it sent a shock of pain up my leg. Blaise frowned as he eyed me up and down. He wasn't the only one. 

The next thing I knew, Terrance was sweeping me off my feet into his arms. I squealed in surprise and struggled in his grip.

"First things first, let's get you off of your feet, princess," he said as he deposited me gently onto one of the couches. I hissed as my head made contact with one of the pillows. It hadn't been hard, but enough to hurt. I rubbed my head gingerly, feeling the large bump that had already started to form. I looked over as Caspian walked out of the room towards the kitchen and came back a few minutes later with several towels and a bowl of water.

I groaned as Elios sat down on the sofa next to me and lifted my legs up to rest across his lap; shaking his head in disapproval over my current state the entire time. Hey, it's not my fault I look like this!

As Elios worked on the bottom of my feet, Terrance walked behind and started to clean off the blood in my hair and on my forehead. Then came Caspian to work on my arms. I glanced over in surprise as Blaise knelt down and proceeded to clean the length of my legs. Not that I didn't appreciate the help, but considering the fact he was still scowling, I had not been expecting him to join in. 

Once most of the blood, mud, and stone had been scraped off, the boys released me and demanded that I go shower before they put on more of the purple goo to help me heal. I followed Caspian as he lead me upstairs and showed me where I could bathe. 

The hot water stung as it pelted my skin. I ignored the pain as I soaped myself all over and sighed as the remaining dirt and blood washed down the drain. After rubbing my skin raw, I tackled the tangle of knots that was my hair; rolling my eyes as I grabbed the bottle of 2-in1 old spice that was propped up in the corner. 

Twenty minutes later I stepped out and grabbed one of the white towels hanging on a rack to dry off. Crap. I peered out of the room and after seeing it was empty, strode forward and checked the dresser drawers for something to wear. There was absolutely nothing in the drawers. Just great. I huffed as I wrapped my towel as tightly as I could and made my way back downstairs.

"I don't suppose any of you has anything that I could wear?" I called out as I reentered the living room. Blaise, Terrance, Elios, and Caspian had all spread out and were in their own little world. Terrance and Caspian were playing some sort of game that looked similar to chess, Elios had his head propped up on the palm of his hands and his eyes closed, and Blaise, to my surprise, was reading a book. All four looked up at me; their brows rising as they saw me standing before them in nothing but a towel. I shifted nervously as I heard several growls and a few soft whistles. I tightened my hold on the towel as Caspian hopped to his feet and dashed upstairs to his room. I kept my gaze directed at the carpet as I waited impatiently. 

"Thanks!" I exclaimed when he finally arrived and placed a pile of clothes in my hands. I darted out into the hallway and pulled on the boxers, sweatpants, and large white v-neck as fast as I could.

"That's a good look on you," Caspian told me as I sat down next to him to watch the game he and Terrance were playing, failing to notice that his eyes had dilated as he took in the sight of me wearing his clothes. 

I mumbled a quick thanks to him as I leaned forward with curiosity as Terrance moved one of the players on the game board forward two squares. As the two continued to play, they began to describe what they were doing, trying to explain the rules. I had been right about the game being similar to chess, but there were a whole slew of unfamiliar rules and ways in which the pieces; which were carved in the shape of various dragon forms, could move and I was barely able to keep it all straight in my head. It was entertaining to watch though. The little dragons on the board would send flames of red, blue, white, and green whenever they were faced with an opponent and from what I gathered, depending on what element the opponent's piece had, they would either win or lose that round; or tie, if it was an equal match. Terrance was currently explaining how fire and water pieces canceled each other out like wind and earth, but that fire could beat an earth dragon while at the same time, lose to an air dragon, but my response was simply to stare at him in confusion. He laughed as he noticed.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it once you've played enough times."

I smiled and nodded at him, though secretly thinking that I wouldn't be sticking around here long enough to do so. 

Now that I had woken everyone up, they were too energized to want to go back to sleep, but I was exhausted and soon found myself nodding off, my head resting on Caspian's shoulder as I closed my eyes. If they had been open, I might have noticed the looks of jealousy the others were directing at him, but I was blissfuly in the throws of sleep by then.

*********************************************************************************************************************

The sun was shining brightly through the cottage windows when I finally woke up the next morning. One of the guys must have brought down a pillow and blanket for me. How sweet. They also had healed me while I slept; for which I was greatful, not having wanted to watch my body lit on fire and feel like I was being burned alive for s second time. I sat up and yawned as I stretched like a cat and peered around me. I heard soft voices coming from the kitchen so I got up and plodded over. Something smelled amazing!

"Morning sleepyhead! Hope you slept well?" Terrance greeted me as I made my way into the kitchen.

I nodded my head as Elios handed me a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon with a grin. 

"Did none of you go back to sleep?" I asked, sitting down at the kitchen table with a frown.

"Nah, we weren't tired anymore," Caspian answered. 

"I'm so sorry, the last thing I wanted to do was interrupt your rest!" I apologized.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it, it was fun. These guys rarely stay up late so I'm normally up by myself," Elios commented as he sat down on my left. 

"But now that we are on the subject, why did you show up in the middle of the night? And how did you get to be in such a state!" He added, forking a mouthful of eggs into his mouth. I looked up to find them all watching me with curious looks on their faces. They had respected my privacy and not asked too many questions last night but I guess I couldn't avoid the subject any longer. 

I swallowed my food and took three more bites before finally pausing to explain what had happened and told them of my unceremonious fall from the fourth floor of the girl's dorm.   
"Well I can't say I am all that surprised that Penelope and her cronies would do something like that, it wouldn't be the first time they've sent someone packing," Blaise commented as he leaned against the counter. 

"If you knew that might happen, then why in the world did you let it?!" I exclaimed, glaring back at him. "You could have saved me a lot of trouble and pain," I added, grinding my teeth hard.

"I said I was simply not surprised, not that I had expected them to actually do anything to you. I made it clear to her and her friends that you were Professor Pyrion's personal guest and that he wouldn't like it if anything happened to you," Blaise responded with a shrug of his shoulders. I rolled my eyes, feeling stupid to have thought that Blaise would be smart enough to realize that his words would have only made this Penelope or whoever she was, more likely to not want me around. Clearly the guy knew nothing about snobby, overly privileged girls. Which was a shock considering he was the male equivalent. 

"Well I am not going back go that hell hole no matter what anyone says! I'd rather sleep in a ditch than anywhere near those crazy bitches," I grumbled as I went back to eating my breakfast. 

"Don't worry, cupcake, you can stay here with us!" Caspian said as he grinned at me, excitedly.

"Are you serious? None of you would mind me staying here?" I asked, glancing over to where Blaise still leaned on the countertop, feeling very doubtful that he was on board with this. 

"Of course! We talked about it once you had fallen asleep and all agreed you wouldn't be going back to the girl's dorm and we certainly wouldn't want you staying in the boy's dorm. Those idiots can't be trusted to behave themselves around a pretty girl such as yourself," Terrance added, though from the hesitant looks the brothers shared, I had a feeling that them not wanting me to stay in the boy's dorm had less to do with prepubescent male dragons and more with the fact that many of them were likely to feel the same way about a human staying with them as Penelope and her friends had. 

I continued to study Blaise's face though, sensing that he wasn't happy with the idea of me living down the hall and not wanting to give him any more reason to hate me.

"It was a unanimous vote in the end and it isn't like we don't have the room, so think no more on the subject, sweetness," Elios said when he saw me looking at Blaise. Nevertheless, from the way Elios was frowning at Blaise, it was clear that I had been right to assume that he must have protested at first. I took a bite of my bacon as I wondered what Terrance, Elios, and Caspian could have possibly said to Blaise to get him to finally agree.

Once we were all properly fed, the guys informed me that I would be joining Blair in her classes in two days time once I had properly "adjusted"; though in my opinion, two days was not enough of a grace period for anyone to start getting used to this crazy realm - but seeing as I had agreed to stay for a week, I could understand Professor Pyrion not wanting to waste too much of that time. As Caspian fixed his tie in the hallway mirror, he also informed me that Blair would be stopping by with some of her clothes for me to try on. From what I had seen so far of Blair's sense of style, it was doubtful that she would have anything that I would normally wear, but it wasn't like I was in a position to be picky. I thanked Caspian for the information and frowned as I reached up and fixed his tie for him before he left with the others to go to their first set of classes.

Not more than an hour had passed before there was a knock on the door. I quickly stood up from my seat on the sofa and went to open it. I had been playing with the little dragon chess pieces, watching with awe as they spat out their tiny flames at each other.   
"Sammy! How are you this fine morning?" Blair greeted me cheerfully as soon as I had pulled the door open for her. She shook her head with a scoff as she stared at my newly healed body and I guessed that Blaise or one of the others must have filled her in on what had transpired. "I'm so excited! I've never had any friends to dress up before and Blaise won't let me anywhere near him when he's getting ready for a major function. I have so much for you to try on and then you have to let me do your makeup and hair! No offense, but it's begging for a comb," Blair added before I could even respond to her initial greeting. I laughed as I let her drag me upstairs and into the empty room that the guys had said would be mine for as long as I was staying with them. 

I had never had any friends either and I told Blair as much as she shuffled me into the bathroom and forced a number of tops into my arms and motioned for me to try them on. Five tops in and I was already groaning with slight irritation as she made me walk out and show her each outfit as I tried them on. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated that she was willing to lend me her clothes, but did she really plan on having me show her each and every article of clothing she had me try on? I mean, she'd brought a whole trunkful of clothes to go along with the armful she had carried over! At this pace, it would take us almost all day to go through everything...

"I can't wear this. It barely covers anything, Blair!" I exclaimed as I crossed my arms over my chest in embarrassment. I was immensely relieved that the guys weren't here to witness the absurdly skin-tight, barebacked, and flashy clothing she was putting me into. 

"That's precisely the point, girlie. You look h-o-t, hot. Definitely put that in the 'yes' pile," she said. I rolled my eyes at her as she shooed me back towards the bathroom to try on the next outfit. 

Several hours later, we had amassed two piles on either side of the room. I stared at the large pile with wide eyes.

"It's simply too much, Blair! I can't possibly borrow so many clothes from you. Surely you need something to wear yourself?!"   
"Stawp it, I have far too many clothes back home and this is barely a dent in what I brought with me to school. And none of this 'borrow' nonsense! There your clothes now to do with as you please. I haven't worn any of them for years, so stop looking at me like that," Blair said as I gaped at her in surprise. This was by far the nicest thing anyone had ever given me without any expectation of something in return. Some of the 'Johns' I had serviced growing up would give me a shiny bauble now and then to show their appreciation, but I never kept any of them. I had my mother's necklace and arm cuff and that was enough for me as far as jewelry went. The last thing I wanted to do was hold onto a bunch of gaudy gifts that only reminded me of a time in my life that I was not particularly proud of...

"I - I don't know what to say," I said as I turned to face the red head before me. She shook her head as she dragged the desk chair into the bathroom and pulled out a makeup bag.

"Hush now and sit still while I do your makeup," was all she said in reply. I chuckled and did as commanded, listening to her as she told me random stories from her childhood. I enjoyed listening, as it gave me a different kind of insight into how dragon children were raised and there was the occasional story involving Blaise that I found entertaining as well. The picture that she painted of him was a very different Blaise then what I would have imagined and I couldn't help but admit that to her.

"Yeah, Blaise used to be such a little rascal, just like me, drove our parents crazy, but as we grew older he became such a stick in the mud; always talking about responsibilities and rules and such. I don't really know for sure when it all changed, but there was definitely a time when he got up to more mischief than one would ever think possible," she told me.

"What kind of responsibilities do dragons even have?" I asked, intrigued.

"Well, there's tons of boring political meetings that need to be attended, messages that need to be sent out, borders to patrol, subjects to look after, and lots of parties. Those are the only functions I ever bother to show up for," Blair listed off. There was a whole long list of duties that she listed but I could only remember a few of them.

"What do you mean by 'subjects to look after'? You mean like the classes here at the college?" I asked in confusion." The hair brush in Blair's hand paused as she stared at me.

"No of course not...wait, do you really not know who Blaise is? Or Terrance, Caspian, and Elios?"

"Um, I know they're dragons...and they can control the different elements, but that's about it," I answered with a blush. I could hardly be expected to know much about anything regarding dragons but it did occur to me now that I had just moved in; temporarily or not, with a group of men I knew barely anything about. I guess beggars can't be choosers. Still, it wasn't the normal way things were done - not that anything about my life could be called "normal".


End file.
